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Where does mankind seek his connection to the divine? Since the Christianization of Europe, people have looked to scripture, to orature in churches to find clues to the spirit. Like a roadmap the Bible served to navigate treacherous waters of a world full of temptation. Our grandparents and great- grandparents attended church and revered the word of Christ so they could have some hope of an afterlife. They contemplated the meanings and foraged their way through, often with very modest financial means. The church was their tie to community and spirit. Today, it is often thought that humans seek the spirit less, and find themselves in the material more. They concentrate on career, on money. They seek fame and recognition. They want romantic relationships, or at least a “good time”. Where does the spirit fit into all of this?

The East seems to offer some hint. Yoga and meditation are all the rage. They help to strengthen the body, the mind and the spirit. With a refreshed mind and a sense of an inner world, one is able to go through life more rooted and balanced. Yoga is a part of Hinduism, and some folks who get into it a the fitness studio also turn to hinduism’s many gods. They recite mantras, they pray and they learn.

Some people in the west also look to Buddhism. A belief in reincarnation, teachings of non-cruelty and simple living offer solace in the fast-paced, high-pressure modern world.

Others convert to Islam, Judaism or find devout Catholicism. The piety and religiousness of these respective faiths are welcomed by those hungry for respite from the materialistic, plastic day and age.

But is there something else?

In the wooded landscapes, the epic mountain lines, the seas, flowing rivers and rocky shores, the lakes and the brooks, the forests full of young birches, the stately old oak trees whisper of days long past. Our ancestors lived with nature long before the name of Christ was heard in Europe. Our forefathers and foremothers cooperated with nature to build their lives. They literally left their mark in caves, thousands of years ago. They had time to venerate nature, painting images of deer and elk. The ancient Europeans were in harmony with the stars, knew what the tides of the seas could tell them. They found food aplenty, and later began to cultivate and hunt for nourishment. Through these various phases, the natural elements and forces were very really, and were personified as gods who interacted with our ancestors in a way that was very, very real. This was not the belief that we hold today: it was a conviction honed from experience.

The energy the ancestors drew from nature, they also gave in return. Like breathing, there was a balance of give and take that we today can barely grasp. This had to do with survival, but it went further than that. Our forefathers and foremothers thrived in landscapes we would deem harsh. They celebrated the changing of the seasons, and they worked with the natural forces. Their rituals enhanced the energy of certain areas to create places that sensitive people even today can feel the reverberations of. The lasting legacy of our pagan ancestors survives in places of power called “Kraftorte” in German. This literally translates to “Strength Place”, or “Power Place”. These are sacred places where a heightened sense of psychic ability may be felt, or an increased awareness, or an enhanced sense of well-being. Where these places have been desecrated however, they leave behind a feeling most unpleasant, unsettling and perhaps even truly frightening….

There are mystical mountains all around the world. Not much attention is paid to their myths and magic, but slowly they are coming more into focus. For example, Untersberg in Salzburg is said to be home to the Kaiser Friedrich Barbarossa, who sleeps as long as the ravens fly. He is said to awaken when his people need him most. Another mystical mountain in Austria is Grossglockner. This mountain is the highest peak in the region, but more fascinating is that it is located on a powerful energy layline and as such, generates more energy, sending it thus into the universe.

Norway has its own mountains of myth and might. One might have heard of Lyderhorn in Bergen. One of the seven mountains of the city of Bergen, witches dance on the winter solstice. People once believed the witches cavorted and danced with menacing demons, casting spells on the fearful Christians nearby.

Witch Mountain Hornelen

A less known mountain of legend is located in Nordfjord. That is Hornelen, which is notable in other terms for being the highest underwater peak with a great portion of its rocky fells extending below the sea. It rises up to the sky with a distinct form. Here, legends were told of witches as well: witches who committed such questionable acts as sex with goats, and other fanciful tales including demons, orgies and the like.

During the Viking age, the top of the mountain was called Smalsarhorn, (meaning) Sheep Horn. The rest of the mountain was called Helen. Over time, the names came to merge to Hornelen (Horn-Helen).

If we examine archaeological fact of the region, we note that cave paintings in Vingen dating back thousands of years are found nearby. These cave paintings were thought to not have been simply the amusement of a bored day, but to have served a ritual purpose as the location was not easily accessible (i.e., people travelled there by boat when the occasion thus called for it, as in special heathen holidays, worship and ritual). So people reserved the location for specific interaction with natural elements and gods, as part of their spirituality at the time. The cave paintings depict animals, such as deer. In Shamanism from all over the world, animals hold a symbolic and literal power to connect the shaman to various aspects of the self and the universe. As such, one could conclude the paintings played a similar role in the context of rituals held.

All over Europe, we find remnants somewhat hidden from view, just calling for our attention. They will awaken our spiritual senses, inspire us, and make us realize that our ancestors too, possessed a shamanic, native religion where they communed with the powerful, life-giving and also destructive forces of nature and the universe. Though some elements survive today only as campy little stories of witches and wizards and demons, going further back in time, these silly stories are based on real and sacred spiritual practices (often twisted to profanity to discourage interest in them). If we look closely and with reverence at the natural surroundings, we will find more and more places of natural power and wonder and can thus feel stronger ties to ancestors and rekindle an interest in Pre-Christian, Nordic past.

Idun, Idunn, Iduna is the goddess of apples, of youth and of vitality. She keeps the Gods in Asgard young and fresh with her golden apples. But here is another perspective we can take on this very positive goddess: abundance.

This autumn time of year sees the harvest of apples, of pumpkins, of plums. There is an abundance to give thanks for. In Germany, the Erntendank is celebrated. In the US, Thanksgiving. What this comes down to is being grateful for the prosperity nature has gifted us with. The harvest ensures livelihood in many different ways. Being thankful ensures we have a good attitude in addition to this. We go into the darker times of the year strengthened.

It is said that it is best to eat fruits and vegetables that are in season. At this time of year, apples are very much in season, so there is no better time to eat them and gain their healing benefits. As a little ritual, you can eat a golden (or another color, at best from the area where you live, if not from your own garden) and take each bite with gratittude; to the goddess of apples, to nature in general for providing such healthful goodness to you.

Most people have heard of Stonehenge. New Grange is also well-known. These places that were sacred to our ancestors and continue to be sacred and powerful points in the energy network of the earth are spread out throughout the world. Pyramids, holy mountains, stone circles, single megaliths, sacred groves and more contribute to this landscape of natural power. With the aid of google, one can learn of some of these places, but to a limited degree.

For Germany and Austria, as well as some entries for Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and some other sites in Europe, there is an excellent and comprehensive website :http://www.kraftort.org This website lists various places you can visit usually by hiking or by car which contain natural power of the earth. For example, the mountain Untersberg near Salzburg in Austria is said to be another heart chakra of Europe (besides Stonehenge). It is fairly easy to climb this mountain, and one can experience the energies there.

My goal is to visit places around northern Europe especially, and possibly also Germany and Austria, and research their histories, but experience their energies myself, so that I can describe the atmosphere there, describe what I feel and compare that with what others might have felt. I will employ dowsing and pendulum techniques and meditation.